Losing Snails

[billymoss970]

Hello,
So I have noticed the last week I have lost some turbo snails and my nassarius snails and dwarf ceriths seem to be less in number. I started to think of some reasons why I may be losing snails. First I checked tank parameters. Temperature 78. Negative for all waste. Salinity 1.026. Calcium 300ppm. ph 8.1 All of these parameters seem normal to . SO then I started doing research on hermits. Seems to me it is very possible the hermits are killing the small snails for food and the larger ones for the shells. But this morning found a couple snails turned over that were still alive.


I guess my question is are the hermit crabs to blame or is it a water problem?
Could it be a food limitation (not enough algae)?
How long do snails live?

thanks, Billdozer


30 gallon nano: 2 clowns, domino damsel, filefish and a green long tentacle anemone

[dmh41532]

hermit crabs will kill snails for their shells, and when hermits get larger, they will kill them for food, atleast that's been my experience. A lack of food could very well be a reason for the snail die off. you stated negative for all waste, what did you test for? when did you add the snails?

[thorden]

Same thing happened for me. I called it snailmagehdon. What kind of food do I need to add to protect my remaining snails?

[ReeferBill]

Calcium seems low , if you have corals calcium should be 400-450 ppm .

[Kona26]

I may be wrong ... but I have been told that mag. has a big role to play in inverts. I have been looking into this my self. Will do some more looking around and double check that.

[Sk8r]

Calcium is 120 points low.
That can affect them.

Turbos and astraeas die if they get onto sand and flip over: they can't right themselves. Nassarius burrow and live under the sand.

[CoralBeauty13]

My hermits have done my snails in, about 90% are gone. I have seen it go down first hand. I have seen the worst of it in that tank...National geographic has nothing on these hermits. My turbos are just fine, but the little guys...well...you know !

My big snails fall off the glass so I gotta turn them over at times. First thing I look for in the morning.

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Sk8r

Calcium is 120 points low.
That can affect them.

Turbos and astraeas die if they get onto sand and flip over: they can't right themselves. Nassarius burrow and live under the sand.

This. Plus hermits will kill snails for their shells.

[EricBuzz]

Hermits kill snails. Whether they need the shells or not.
I find mine leave the snails alone for months, then all of a sudden it begins to look like a mass murder spree...

[Jnickles85]

I am planning on trying this in my nano, why not just leave hermits out of your tank? I'm sure there are other clean up crews that can provide the same benefit with out the occasional craving for snail.

[pbell101]

I don't have a tank set up yet, let alone have any snails or hermits. Though I have done some reading on the subject. In the book I read, the author suggested leaving different sized empty hermit crab shells in your tank, and keeping your hermit crabs well fed. That way they don't have any reason to go after your snails. You can get shells pretty cheap online.

[Spork3245]

Originally Posted by pbell101

I don't have a tank set up yet, let alone have any snails or hermits. Though I have done some reading on the subject. In the book I read, the author suggested leaving different sized empty hermit crab shells in your tank, and keeping your hermit crabs well fed. That way they don't have any reason to go after your snails. You can get shells pretty cheap online.

They will still kill snails. Hermits have a constant "grass is greener" mentality when it comes to shells, doesn't matter how many are available.

[cesare]

yep the hermits will kill the snails anyways .I have seen it happen many times.

[pbell101]

It was just something cheap to try. Sorry if this it was a newbie response. I was unsure of it was assumed that anyone who keeps hermit crabs keeps shells as well. Does this behavior apply to all hermit crabs, or is it prevalent in certain species?

[Every1jockzjay]

Do healthy turbos fall off the glass? Mine personally never have but i think j may have read once that its sign their not healthy...i dont remember i could b completely wronf

[billymoss970]

Wow great information. Dmh41532 ammonia, nitrite and nitrate neg. snails added periodically over the last six months, with the last being turbos. About 15 in all. A couple of the large turbos are nothing but shells now! So here is what I think is going on. 1. Hermits are killing snails! 2. Some of my snails have flipped over, some have died while I have also righted a few. Game plan: trade hermits to LFS for some more turbos!




I do have one more question: I have read that hermits could be beneficial to anemones and I have recently added a long tentacled anem. Is this true?

[snorvich]

Originally Posted by Spork3245

They will still kill snails. Hermits have a constant "grass is greener" mentality when it comes to shells, doesn't matter how many are available.

Unfortunately this is true. I advise choosing hermits or snails but not both.

[michfish5]

I did search the forum first, but can anyone weigh in what snails, other than turbo, are good for hair algae on rock? Cerith or Nerites? Any preferences? For a 65 gallon reef with shallow sand bed. Thanks!
- Michele